The Mayan Temple on Olive Hill: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Hollyhock House

In the middle of East Hollywood, perched atop Olive Hill, sits a structure that looks less like a California bungalow and more like a lost temple.

This is Hollyhock House. Constructed of concrete and covered in abstract floral designs, it is one of the most unique homes in Los Angeles. After decades of neglect, earthquakes, and restorations, it has returned to its former glory.

It is also Frank Lloyd Wright’s first Los Angeles project and a UNESCO World Heritage site—but the story of how it got there involves a radical heiress, a distracted architect, and a lot of drama.

The Radical Heiress

The story begins with Aline Barnsdall. An oil heiress with a fortune estimated at $15 million (in 1917 money!), Aline was not your typical socialite. She was a feminist, a traveler, and a close friend of anarchist Emma Goldman.

In 1919, she bought 36 acres of olive groves in Los Angeles (known as a “superblock”) for $300,000. She didn’t just want a house; she envisioned an avant-garde arts community with a theater, artist studios, and a residence for herself and her daughter.

The Distracted Architect

To build this vision, she hired the most famous architect in America: Frank Lloyd Wright.

However, the timing was terrible. Wright was obsessed with building the Imperial Hotel in Japan. He spent much of the construction period overseas, leaving the project in the hands of his assistant, Rudolph Schindler (who would go on to become a famous modernist architect in his own right).

The relationship between Barnsdall and Wright was explosive. They fought over costs, design, and timelines. Frustrated by Wright’s absence and the ballooning budget, Barnsdall eventually fired him in 1921. Schindler finished the house, but much of the grand “arts complex” plan was scrapped.

“California Romanza” and the Mayan Look

Wright called the style of the home “California Romanza” (a musical term meaning “freedom to make one’s own form”), but architectural historians call it Mayan Revival.

The walls are tilted back at 85 degrees, giving the home the appearance of an ancient fortress or temple.

Why “Hollyhock”? The house is named after Barnsdall’s favorite flower. But don’t expect to see flowery wallpaper. Wright abstracted the hollyhock into a geometric design that appears everywhere: on the roofline, the concrete finials, the stained glass, and the furniture.

Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water

Like many Wright homes, the entrance is low and cave-like, compressing you before you step into the explosive space of the living room.

The focal point is the massive bas-relief fireplace made of cast concrete. It was designed to represent the four elements:

• Earth: The concrete hearth.
• Fire: The flames.
• Air: The skylight above.
• Water: A moat at the base of the fireplace.

Wright designed a complex water system where a stream would flow from the courtyard, through the house (as a moat around the fireplace), and out to a fountain. In practice? It leaked constantly. Today, the moat is dry, but the visual impact remains.

A Gift to the City

Aline Barnsdall never really liked the house. She found it too dark and grand for her taste. In 1927, she did something extraordinary: she donated the house and 12 acres of prime real estate to the City of Los Angeles to be used as a public art park.

For decades, the city struggled to maintain it. It served as the headquarters for the California Art Club, was nearly demolished in the 1950s, and suffered damage in the 1994 Northridge Earthquake.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site

In 2019, Hollyhock House received the ultimate honor. It was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site (part of a group of eight Wright works). It is the only Cultural World Heritage site in Los Angeles.

This designation sparked a new era of preservation. Recent restorations have returned the exterior to its original 1921 appearance, and work continues on the other structures on the hill, including Residence A (a guest house).

Fun Fact: The house has a strange pop culture resume. In 1989, it was used as the “Temple of the Piranha Women” in the cult B-movie Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death starring Bill Maher!

If You Visit

Hollyhock House is located within Barnsdall Art Park, which also offers stunning views of the Hollywood Sign and the Griffith Observatory.

• Location: 4800 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027.
• Tours: Self-guided tours are available, but tickets are limited and often sell out. Book in advance online.
• Accessibility: The house has many split levels and stairs, which can be challenging for those with mobility issues, though accommodations are available for the first floor.
• Don’t Miss: The inner courtyard view from the living room, and the custom dining room chairs with “Hollyhock” spines.

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For More Information

• Hollyhock House (barnsdall.org/hollyhock-house)